March is awareness month in autoimmune diseases!
We know that our immune system (immune system) protects us against potential dangers such as bacteria, viruses and toxins. Autoimmune diseases, on the other hand, occur as a result of our immune system attacking healthy cells in our tissues and organs, and there are more than 80 types. It can quickly affect almost any part of our body. For example, alopecia areata, popularly known as “hair breaker”, is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.
In type 1 diabetes (its mechanism is different from type 2 diabetes, which we know as diabetes), the purpose is the insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas; The goal is the small intestine in celiac, the thyroid in Hashimoto, the central border system in MS, and the joints in rheumatoid arthritis. The treatment and nutrition to be planned will vary according to the type of disease. Immunosuppressive (corticosteroid) drugs can be used to slow down the immune system.
The cause of autoimmune diseases is not known exactly, but it is thought that environmental factors such as viruses, some chemicals or stress trigger our genetic predisposition to this condition. Recent studies have shown that covid-19 is associated with impaired immune response (Sacchi et al., 2020). (Perhaps we will witness an increase in the incidence of autoimmune diseases together with covid-19 in the future)
